This morning I had the pleasure is watching Jim Spivey with a small group, and as always I gained yet a clearer perspective of the kingdom of God in action. Jim was talking to a full grown man in need of a new relationship with his mother. And perhaps not a new relationship with her, but more of an honesty with himself so that he can be real with her. Truthfully I don’t know the issue, but the important part is what Jim had to say.
Jim said something to the effect of, ‘we allow our minds to project onto God our images of our mother or father and it limits our relationship to Him. Like a parent, we hear Him but ignore Him, or don’t like what He says, or project some imperfection onto Him to nullify His speaking.’ Of course Jim is more eloquent than my paraphrase, but he went onto say that ‘this projection is a ‘normal’ response of the brain but so much of what Jesus did and said was to disconnect us from our brain (flesh) and connect us to the Spirit.’
Take today’s passage. Jesus was not commanding us to hate, but in many ways the scripture says how dare you project you earthly Dad’s imperfections onto the perfection of the Father? It also describes the disparity, the distance and distinction, that our love for God should exceed any earthly relationship. And in doing so gives us the proper perspective of loving down instead of up. Having our love originate in heaven and come down rather than originate on earth and go up.
Jim went on to advise the gentleman and the group, ‘that if you will get closer to God, love Him whole heartedly then you will be able to see your mother from God’s perspective rather than see God from the projection of your perspective of your mother.’ This is brilliant advice for us all in every relationship. But I wanted to take this truth a little further and relate it those of us who are parents.
Jesus said that our love for God should be exponentially greater than our love of our children. To use Jim’s kingdom perspective, our love for our children should only come from being wholly committed and in love with God so that we see them as His children and not our own. In this we can love them with purity and our actions and interactions may be entirely different. For example, children spoiled by their parents project onto God that He will spoil them, that God can be manipulated and convinced; and when they become parents they may very well pass on the spoiling tendency. Whereas as God would never spoil, though He is always blessing. Likewise these same children/adults throw temper tantrums when God does do things the way they want them
The lesson here is that if we as parents will seek and love God with our whole hearts then we are more likely to reflect Him to our children and enable them to see Him more clearly rather than project our behaviors and frailties onto Him. Same thing applies to all relationships, in and out of the family.
Unfortunately this is not something that can be learned in a scholastic sense. There is not a right or wrong way defined in black and white, there is only relationship with God that is controlled completely by the individuals desire to have it. Seek and ye shall find the scripture says, knock and it will be opened up to you are His command. Whole heartedly desire this relationship and God will make it happen.
For those who had bad parents (I’m very fortunate to not be one.) I have to say that God is nothing like your parents. For that matter, God is nothing like my good parents. Just seek Him, obey Christ and seek first the kingdom of God, and He (in His timing) will remove those misconceptions you project onto Him.
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